TTC with PCOS (Thread #3)

[RoseBud2015]

If you have been diagnosed with PCOS and would like a small group of very friendly ladies in the same position as you to talk to, then this is the thread for you!

You can find our first thread >>>>>>>> HERE

You can find our second thread >>>>>>>>> HERE

You can find the stats >>>>>HERE

OMG MrsC Welcome back lovely!!! Very well done for getting your BMI down and getting yourself on clomid- this is HUGE news! How did you feel on the 50mg? Any side effects? Good luck with your bloods- let us know how it goes x

Voldy Are you ttc #1? How old are you? When did you start ttc? Glad to hear the HySoCy went well but why cant they do anything else for you? If you have PCOS diagnosed they should be able to fast track you through the system.

Elle I think you must have ov'ed earlier than usual! When did you DTD? Maybe next cycle start DTD a few days earlier just in case? Glad you have the lap and dye in the diary- at least things seem to be moving forward for you nicely now! It might be that you aren't oving regularly so the clomid could still help you.

Nurse What dose of metformin have you been prescribed? Glad to hear your appointments went well and that you are feeling more positive- hopefully this all starts to have an impact soon!

Banana Get your butt on here and share your news! I've seen on another thread but I want ALL the details!!! xxx

AFM- I did my first injection of 75iu Menopur last night and took my first dose of 100mg clomid before bed. 4 more nights of injections and pill-popping and then I'm off to an ultrasound on Monday to see how my ovaries are doing. The injection itself was completely painless and really very easy..... such a relief! But I couldn't stop crying afterwards- I felt (and still do feel) so emotional that we are here, and this is happening, and its come to this, and so much rides on this. It's crazily scary and exciting- my emotions cannot cope!

Only when I thought I was getting places - just back from spending 2 hours fighting with the GP who is refusing to fulfill the prescription for the metformin from the consultant because metformin isn't liscenced for use in pcos. So angry and frustrated and dh is saying all the wrong things

Sorry to hear that Nurse Sounds like we are having a very similar day! I have been to see my GP to request a day 21 blood test, just to see if it confirms the same result as my clear blue digital monitor (ov'd or not) now, i'm due a positive result until tomorrow or Sunday but i'd need the blood test next Thurs. He was so horrible, didn't want to give me the blood test, said it was futile, told me there's nothing more he can suggest I do. He was very disinterested, giving me one word answers and basically offered no reassurance and made me feel like a massive burden. He made me cry

"D"P has also been so horrible to me today. He really makes me feel undervalued sometimes. I think this coupled with the fact that 2 people very close to me have given birth to two beautiful babies this week has left me feeling very sensitive. Don't get me wrong, i'm thrilled for my friend and family member & i'm so happy to have two precious babies in my life, but I guess it's hit home that I may never have that again. It's 18 months ttc for me now & i've done everything I can, besides clomid (due to the fact I ov some months anyway) Just seems impossible.

Hugs village. A good GP who is understanding and wants to help is unfortunately getting harder and harder to come by, I think they are an absolute joke sometimes. So frustrating when i compare them to the absolutely amazing doctors i work with every day in the hospital who get paid an awful lot less but are worth their weight in gold.

I think what we need is some seriously trashy but great movie (i'm thinking pitch perfect!) chocolate +/- Alcohol :D

Seriously though, surely things can only improve at this point lol??

Nurse Your GP is an idiot! Make an appointment with a different GP to get that prescription and if that doesn't work go back to the consultant (or their secretary) and see if they can give you the actual prescription! Metformin is used by most women with classic PCOS! GPs are so clueless sometimes! Don't give in until you get what you deserve X

Village Your GP is a prize bellend too! Same advice to you.... See a different GP asap. Can you not just book an blood test with your doctors surgery without seeing the doctor? That's what I've done loads of times without say so from the doctor and no one said a thing! Push for answers.... It simply isn't on! Xxx

Thanks Rosebud Oh I got the blood test form in the end but he was furious! Didn't say goodbye when I thanked him & just wouldn't look at me! He clearly didn't understand a thing about PCOS and couldn't have been less interested.

Nurse I am opening a bottle of red, a packet of doritos and a dairymilk. Fuck the diet! I'm sure the red won't be any good for ovulation etc but tonight I just have to relax & drink. I've had an appalling day!

Don't worry about it village - ive had a nandos for lunch. Diet thoughts are long gone.

Thanks rosebud - youre like the PCOS mummy - always know what to say and when and we love you for it lol :)

Aww- glad I could be of some help Nurse

I'm feeling so angry for you both....... sometimes a girl just needs a break. It's hard enough without clueless and thoughtless GPs adding their ill-advised opinions based on 'once reading a few pages of a book on fertility 10 years ago in med school'....... leave it for the fertility specialists! Grr!

Second injection done!

How are you finding the injections rosebud? I inject other people all the time and still dont think i like the idea of doing it to myself haha. Silly isn't it?

Hi ladies

I’ve been reading all your posts and been wanting to come on and reply to you all properly and do personals, just to say BIG BIG hugs to you all

Sorry for me, me, me post, but the lovely Rosebud poked me to come on and share the latest, so will give you the headlines

I am booked in for embryo transfer tomorrow!!!!

We don’t get a day 4 update, but yesterday (day 3) our little embryos were doing just fantastically - we had 11 good quality embryos, 2 OK ones, and 3 laggards.

Now, there will be a LOT of drop off between yesterday and tomorrow - they don’t check in one them on day 4, when the weaker ones will have stopped dividing, and hopefully some of the stronger ones have started compacting into a morula (Latin for mulberry, cos they look like little mulberries!).

Tomorrow (day 5) the strongest ones will hopefully have made it to blastocyst stage - when there are so many cells they can’t count them, and you can see two distinct parts to the embryo - the trophectoderm (the outside bit - this is what will hopefully become placenta), and the inner cell mass (the bit that will hopefully become baby!)

So, we will find out when we get to the clinic tomorrow how many have made it to blast, and of what quality. If we are really really lucky, we will have something for the freezer as well as something to transfer!

The big big question was whether or not my crappy lining would be good enough to transfer this time - or if we would have to put anything that made it to blast straight into the freezer and try and work on my lining in a frozen transfer cycle.

The very very good news is that my lining scan today showed that the oestrogen tablets have worked their magic alongside the progesterone pessaries, and my lining has thickened up 3mm since Monday at EC!!!!!

So the oven is now well and truly warmed up, and hopefully we’re going to get a bun put in tomorrow

If this one doesn’t stick, and we get any frosties, we will go straight into a FET (frozen embryo transfer) cycle as soon as I’ve finished my AF in 2 weeks time. Here’s hoping we get a frostie but don’t need it for a few years though!

Oh, and there’s a whole OTHER story about my ovaries on the scan today appearing absolutely massive and hugely swollen and ’very polycystic in appearance’ and how we think my PCOS never actually went away, and all my eggs didn’t disappear, but my epilepsy medication might have made it seem that way.

!!!!!!!!!

So, yes. News! Update to follow once we’re back from the clinic, hopefully PUPO with a good quality blast on board!!!!!

PS: I shall be wearing my lucky Superman socks tomorrow for luck!

That all sounds amazing banana! Finger and toes crossed for you tomorrow! Do update us and let us know how it goes :D

Banana I have fingers and toes crossed for you, that sounds like a wonderful place to be going into things with.

Rose: TTC #2 (6yo DC), but my husband's first. We've been trying two years. I'm 24. I've got a GP appointment booked for Wednesday, so maybe I'll ask some questions about where I go from here; do feel a bit like I'm floundering around.

for those of you with shitty GPs. I never understand how some people seem to make their day by making other people feel awful. Metformin has been used for PCOS for years!!

village I would put in a complaint about your GP. Even if he was having a bad day himself, making a patient cry is not on. Don't go back to him!

This worries me about the metformin thing, I have no idea whether it will be suitable for me but, although my GP is lovely, I'm a bit worried she will also be a jobsworth. She doesn't seem all that clued up about ttc.

Also DP said last night that there's no point in having lots of sex because it's not worked for us so far so it's not going to work now when we know I've got this condition- basically he's expecting I'll get given drugs and everything will magically happen!

I didn't point out that another reason we aren't pg yet is because we don't have enough sex at the right time. Whenever the right time is!

banana that's fantastic news! Hope you've got your superman socks at the ready, fx for you!

Thanks for your support ladies. I felt like an idiot for crying but I guess i'm feeling frustrated at this point, also a little sensitive and this GP was just cold, rude and dismissive. It didn't take much to tip me over the edge yesterday. It was a truly shit day! Oh well, today's a new day.

banana fingers crossed for you and sending loads of positivity your way.

I am on day 15 of my cycle, still no "peak" on my monitor as yet. I think we may need to give clomid a try as it's looking like I only ov every other cycle. Is this because one ovary in particular isn't doing its job do you think?

nurse and village sorry you came across representatives of the federation of knob jockey gps. It is shameful how poor primary care is in this country; if you don't educate yourself and push, you get nowhere.

rosebud hurrah for starting injects! Not long now. Fx for your scan next week.

banana I believe you are pupo by now. Woo hoo! Gissa update when you can.

mrsc welcome back and congrats on the weight loss! Fab effort.

Sorry to everyone I've missed, am on my phone.

Afm, I realised a couple of days ago I wasn't injecting myself properly - the pen wasn't delivering the whole dose of gonal f. Have started properly now but fear I have messed up this cycle as have started too late. Am an idiot. Anyway, have a scan on Monday but not expecting anything given I only started injecting properly on Friday!

Hi ladies, hope you're all having lovely weekends

Quick update as promised - I am now officially PUPO!

ET today went really well, I have a 4AA blast on board, plus four blasts on ice!!

My gob is well and truly smacked.

Never in a million years did I think that with an AMH of 1.5 I would ever get anything to blast - let alone anything for the freezer.

It was really magical seeing our little blast on screen - DH and I both got a bit teary. He could see the ultrasound screen the Dr was looking at (at the business end!) and watched the flash of light as the embryo got squirted in. It's pretty mind-blowing.

Dr said he was delighted with the embryos, the big unknown is my endometrium - so just have to hope that this little one clings on extra tight!

Hi all,

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Nurse I'm finding the injections fine- they only feel like a little scratch and then a tiny amount of burning as the meds go in. I thought I'd find it harder to do than I have been. DH was impressed by how I did the first injection without hesitating, so I'm quite proud of myself.

Voldy I've now added you to our stats! They can be found at the top of this thread if you fancy having a nose and seeing what we are all taking meds wise. Do you mind me asking- did you fall with your first child quite easily?

Dizzy Men hey?! Such lazy creatures- thank god fertility treatment requires very little of them otherwise we would never get anywhere!
I say bite the bullet and go to your GP to discuss your situation and metformin. If you are classic PCOS (Tends to mean you find losing weight difficult and put on weight very easily) then metformin is definitely something that would benefit you. Go armed with some knowledge and then don't leave until she agrees I used this technique with my consultant when clomid didn't work- she wasn't going to try anything else because it "wasn't licensed for fertility use" but when I argued my case for Femara she gave in....... I can be very persuasive when I need to be!

Village There are a few people on this thread who only seem to ov from one ovary so it is a possibility. Hopefully those well-fought-for bloods will give you some answers x

Stealth How were you not injecting properly? Not putting the needle in fully? Or not pushing the plunger to the bottom? I'm confused! I think the doses of meds take account of the fact that some of the solution may be lost in the process so hopefully its made very little difference. x

Banana Congratulations on being PUPO! How are you feeling today?

I took my third injection of Menopur and 3rd dose of 100mg clomid last night- lovely night sweats again last night and a bit of swelling in the region of my ovaries (Although nowhere near the scale of your bloat Banana!) More meds tonight and tomorrow and then my first scan- nervous!!!!!

rosebud not pushing the plunger to the bottom - the clicker on the pen is very stiff and requires 2 hands to actually push the dosage to zero. I don't think it's been going in as I can see the measurement line on the pen and it wasn't going down (that's how I figured it out eventually!). Never mind. I figure that given I don't have a natural cycle anyway a few days more difference won't make too much difference. Scan tomorrow so we'll see!

So excited for you - well done on all the injections and GOOD LUCK for the scan tomorrow. Am sure there will be lots of juicy follies!

Banana - pupo! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Xx

Stealth .....scan buddies! What time is yours? Mine is 12:30pm. If it's bad news, I'm not sure how I will be able to return to work without crying heavily on someone. I'm praying for good news for us both x

Ladies good luck to you both, we are all rooting for you!!

The Gonal-F rediject pen is brilliant for convenience as you just have to turn the dial for the dosage and push - it's just it's quite cumbersome so requires more welly than you think!

The Cetrotide required pre mixing and I found the liquid was really viscous so I had to really force the plunger down. Cos it's subcutaneous the thick liquid did sometimes pool under the skin in a little lump, but then dispersed (itched like a bastard though!)

We took a massive bag full of sharps bins into the clinic yesterday. I worked out I'd given myself 60 injections over the last three months!!!!!

Hope you're all having lovely weekends. My ovaries have swollen up to the size of large oranges as they are now apparently pretty polycystic in appearance (hence why we suspect my PCOS never actually went away, it just got suppressed somehow by my epilepsy medication, and how someone in peri menopause got a PCO response to the stims). I will reply properly just feeling a bit tender!

DH and I are talking to our little blast and hoping they are hatching today (which makes it really sound like I am a broody hen)

Big hugs ladies. Think Rosie the Riveter: We Can Do It!!!

Rose - 2pm. I'll be right behind you! I have sort of prepared myself for "bad news" given the late start to injections. I figure having an early scan is no bad thing as if I'm not responding at all then my doctor can jack the dose up. Also curious to see what's going on with my lining. HOWEVER, experience tells me that if I have bad news i find it very hard to concentrate for the rest of the day at work, so I've only scheduled internal meetings that I can sack off if something goes horribly wrong. Can you do the same? It's such a roller coaster.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you, I am sure there will be enough there to move forward!

Yes I thought the pump depressing fully was enough - turns out it wasn't. I am a moron. Oh well.

Hi all
Bananafish, I’m very excited about how your week has gone. Congratulations on being PUPO! I’m glad your tapering off of the pain meds was worth it . All that worry you had about your potentially poor-responder ovaries, when it might been skewed results because of the meds all along! What a lot of highs and lows you’ve had in the last year. Hope you’re not feeling too swollen/ sore.
Rosebud, yay for starting your injections! It’s no wonder you’re feeling so emotional. It is a really big moment.
Chandelier, congratulations on the prawn! And that they observed the heartbeat already. So exciting. Dizzy, in awe of the thought of a saliva microscope. Thanks for the explanation.
MrsC, welcome back! Congrats on the weight loss and I hope the clomid works for you.
Voldy, I’m glad your insides were all clear but I’m sorry that it means you’ve not got any help for the next 18 months . Hopefully it won’t take anywhere near that long!
Ellewalk, sorry that AF came early when you were feeling so positive.
Nurse15, good idea to get booked in for the dye test and SA just in case. My tubes were unexpectedly blocked and it would have been a shame to waste the money on scans, take unnecessary drugs and delay IVF by trying clomid when it couldn’t really have worked for me. I say that not to scare you, but it’s good to make sure everything is as it should be before you take the next step! Well done on your dietician appointment. But I’m so sorry to hear about your GP not giving you the prescription. Metformin is a really common first step for PCOS treatment. I hope you can see another GP given that the recommendation has already been made by a specialist.
Villagefete, so sorry to hear about your rubbish GP appointment too. And that your DP has not been supportive.
Dizzy, I hope you can persuade your DP that you’ve got to be in it to win it!
Stealth, ugh about realising your injections weren’t going in properly. It’s only been a few days though, right? I’m sure there’s time to get the cycle fully on track.
Good luck for your scans tomorrow, Rosebud and Stealth!
Apologies if I've missed anyone out - there have been a lot of posts in the last week!

We had our first appointment in the ACU this week. The doctor was nice but gave us some food for thought – do I want to have an endometrial scratch? It seems the jury’s really out if you have no known implantation issues, but then I've only got no known implantation issues because I’ve not got anywhere near that far, so there’s no way of knowing whether it will be an issue. The doctor thought there was no downside (aside from the money, the possibility of it being a bit painful, and having to go to the hospital yet again during working hours) and a possible upside, so I think I’ll probably go ahead to avoid any question of ‘what if’? But there is a possible risk of infection, from what I've read online, and I'm a bit nervous of unnecessary interventions. Was it mentioned to anyone else on this thread doing IVF?
The doctor also said that a double-embryo transfer was the norm. I always assumed that at 34, they wouldn’t do that. I’ve read a lot about the possible risks to mother and children of having twins, but the doctor basically said it was ‘only’ that you’d have to have an obstetrician-led birth and a c-section at 36 weeks. Something to think about – if we get through the next few stages successfully! I don't want to sound like I'm assuming I'll actually get to a stage of having two to transfer in the first place.

Hi fee fee! No idea re endometrial scratch (other than it sounds painful! - what is it??) but I'm sure others will be able to help.

On the other hand, I was under the impression that double embryo implantation was illegal in the UK at your age unless there are known problems with egg quality. Is this your first round of IVF?

No worries stealth, I didn't really know until last week either! I think they scrape a bit of your uterine lining in the cycle before IVF, as it may provoke a reaction that then helps the embryo implant. Who knows though.
As for the double transfer, it's not illegal but the HFEA does seem to discourage it.